Ancient Night
Ancient Night
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Publisher's Hardcover ©2023--
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Levine Querido
Annotation: Publishers Weekly Best of the Year BookPage Best of the Year Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Evanston Library Best of... more
Genre: [Fairy tales]
 
Reviews: 5
Catalog Number: #357611
Format: Publisher's Hardcover
Publisher: Levine Querido
Copyright Date: 2023
Edition Date: 2023 Release Date: 03/14/23
Illustrator: Alvarez, David,
Pages: 1 volume (unpaged)
ISBN: 1-646-14251-9
ISBN 13: 978-1-646-14251-4
Dewey: 398.2089
LCCN: 2022945160
Dimensions: 25 cm
Language: English
Reviews:
Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Wed Dec 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

In Álvarez and Bowles' folkloric collaboration, the moon stands alone in the vast night sky, tended by caring Rabbit and envied by clever Opossum.Amid the stars, the moon-resembling a large, round jug-sits, radiant with a milky white light. Rabbit keeps the moon luminous, journeying up and down the Great Ceiba's trunk to collect aguamiel, the "precious, glowing nectar that brims in the heart of the first and holy maguey" (an agave plant). When the moon wanes and dims, Rabbit pours aguamiel into it to return its lustrous light. Covetous Opossum strikes, cracking the moon to sap the aguamiel. Observing the darkened night sky, Rabbit finds Opossum drinking the nectar. "Foolish Opossum, what have you done?" Rabbit yells out. Filled with regret, Opossum heads deep into the earth to gather a mighty fire. From there on, the tale of Rabbit and Opossum slips into a cozy truce, altogether expected yet richly gratifying. Bolstered by the ethereal, whimsical text, the plush, incandescent acrylic and oil paint artwork gathers the subtleties and splendors of nighttime and the plant life that surrounds Rabbit and Opossum. Together words and images tug readers along at a measured pace. An excellent authors' note underscores how common strands and crucial differences from wide-ranging Mesoamerican legends and myths furnish the inspiration at the roots of this tale. Publishes simultaneously in Spanish. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Like a mighty dream recalled from time gone by. (Picture book. 4-8)

Horn Book (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Rabbit keeps the moon shining brightly by trekking across the world to bring back aguamiel, "the precious, glowing nectar that brims in the heart of the first and holy maguey." She fills a jug with this sweet agave sap, then pours it into the moon. Rabbit's rival, Opossum, pokes a hole in the moon and steals the sap, thus unintentionally extinguishing the moonlight. Luckily, he remembers a treasure under the earth and brings back a pot of fire, "prepared by mighty gods as a gift for future humans who might shiver in the dark." He sets this pot of burning sun high in the sky, and now he and Rabbit work together as ­Guardians of Light. Stunning illustrations by acclaimed Mexican artist Alvarez feature a velvety blue-black backdrop of a sky, stars providing only pinpricks of light, while the glowing moon is depicted as a round, two-handled jar. Opossum's ­reddish-brown fur matches the terra cotta pot of fire he tends, and ­Rabbit's fur is the same blue-green as the magical agave plant, whose spiny leaves curl gracefully upward, like an octopus floating in the dark sea of the night sky. Bowles (translator of The ­Sea-Ringed World, rev. 3/21) developed the text for this previously wordless book originally published in Mexico as Noche antigua. His spellbinding, poetic text is lyrical but crisp. A detailed note at the back explains that the tale is an original weaving together of several stories from Mesoamerica. Jennifer M. Brabander

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

In Álvarez and Bowles' folkloric collaboration, the moon stands alone in the vast night sky, tended by caring Rabbit and envied by clever Opossum.Amid the stars, the moon-resembling a large, round jug-sits, radiant with a milky white light. Rabbit keeps the moon luminous, journeying up and down the Great Ceiba's trunk to collect aguamiel, the "precious, glowing nectar that brims in the heart of the first and holy maguey" (an agave plant). When the moon wanes and dims, Rabbit pours aguamiel into it to return its lustrous light. Covetous Opossum strikes, cracking the moon to sap the aguamiel. Observing the darkened night sky, Rabbit finds Opossum drinking the nectar. "Foolish Opossum, what have you done?" Rabbit yells out. Filled with regret, Opossum heads deep into the earth to gather a mighty fire. From there on, the tale of Rabbit and Opossum slips into a cozy truce, altogether expected yet richly gratifying. Bolstered by the ethereal, whimsical text, the plush, incandescent acrylic and oil paint artwork gathers the subtleties and splendors of nighttime and the plant life that surrounds Rabbit and Opossum. Together words and images tug readers along at a measured pace. An excellent authors' note underscores how common strands and crucial differences from wide-ranging Mesoamerican legends and myths furnish the inspiration at the roots of this tale. Publishes simultaneously in Spanish. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Like a mighty dream recalled from time gone by. (Picture book. 4-8)

Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
Starred Review for Horn Book (Tue Feb 07 00:00:00 CST 2023)
Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Wed Dec 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)
Starred Review for Publishers Weekly (Tue Feb 07 00:00:00 CST 2023)
Horn Book (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
Reading Level: 1.0
Interest Level: K-3

Publishers Weekly Best of the Year
BookPage Best of the Year
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard
Evanston Library Best of the Year
Horn Book 2023 Summer Reading List


“Vivid and vibrant.” —NPR Weekend Edition

At the start of things, the elders say,
the universe was hushed and still.
The moon alone shone bright and round in the star-speckled dark of the sky.


David Álvarez is one of the most extraordinary artists working today. His black-and-white illustrations have gained fame in his home country of Mexico and around the world.

Here, in Ancient Night (Noche Antigua), David displays his immense talent with full-color illustrations for the first time.

Ancient Night is a twist on two Nahuatl traditions: the rabbit which the Feathered Serpent placed on the moon, and Yaushu, the Lord Opossum who ruled the earth before humans came, and who stole fire from the gods to create the sun.

Award-winning author David Bowles has written a poetic text – and carefully researched backmatter – to accompany David’s lush illustrations and story. Published simultaneously in English and Spanish editions, Ancient Night offers young readers everywhere the chance to savor this ancient tale in its most beautiful format possible.

P R A I S E

★ "Bolstered by the ethereal, whimsical text, the plush, incandescent acrylic and oil paint artwork gathers the subtleties and splendors of nighttime and the plant life that surrounds Rabbit and Opossum. Together words and images tug readers along at a measured pace. An excellent authors’ note underscores how common strands and crucial differences from wide-ranging Mesoamerican legends and myths furnish the inspiration at the roots of this tale. Like a mighty dream recalled from time gone by."
Kirkus (starred)

★ "Luminous acrylic and oil illustrations bring the night to life... Enchanting text presents the tale in short, clear sentences that convey a sense of timeless mystery and beauty... An excellent choice for picture book collections that uniquely explores traditional Mesoamerican tales and is sure to inspire the wish for further discovery and appreciation."
School Library Journal (starred)

★ “Bowles’ spare, evocative text flows like poetry… Álvarez’s compositions are sophisticated and uncluttered… beautifully crafted, gently stylized figures so remarkably textured that you can almost count the number of hairs on Rabbit’s body. Ancient Night is wondrous, sparkling and easily one of the best picture books of 2023.”
BookPage (starred)

★ “Bowles’s unhurried lines offer a playfully elegant feel to the telling, while Álvarez’s saturated digitized paintings use a limited palette to imagine long-eared, gray Rabbit and pointy-nosed, rust-hued Opossum against luminous leafy landscapes. Together, the collaborators create a dreamlike story variation that truly shines.”
Publishers Weekly (starred)

★ “Unmissable… The breathtaking illustrations exude light themselves…”
Foreword Reviews (starred)

★ “Stunning illustrations by acclaimed Mexican artist Álvarez feature a velvety black backdrop of a sky, stars providing only pinpricks of light...spellbinding, poetic text is lyrical but crisp.”
Horn Book (starred)

“A calming selection for evening lap reads and storytimes.”
BCCB

“A perfect bedtime read aloud. This Mesoamerican-inspired fable borrows from old tales for a larger-than-life yet soothingly illustrated picture book.”
Shelf-Awareness

“Exquisite.”
—Melissa Taylor, Imagination Soup

“Álvarez’s illustrations alone are enough to make this stunning picture book a winner—the dreamy feel of the milky moonlight against the deep-dark night and the crisp simplicity of the animals and their world is masterful. When paired with interwoven traditional Mesoamerican tales of the magic and power of our lunar companion, the story sings, enchanting readers with its mystery and beauty. Don’t miss this one!”
—Southern Bookseller Review


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